Rupert Devereaux
Rupert Devereaux was the British Prime Minister of the Magician British Empire in the Bartimaeus Trilogy, gaining his position because his master killed his predecessor.1980s History Summary The Prime Minister of England for the duration of the trilogy, Devereaux's power came not from his magical ability, which was implied to be not as great as some of his colleagues, but rather from his charisma and eloquence of speech. After the events of The Golem's Eye, he became increasingly paranoid, and rather than name a replacement for Duvall as Chief of Police, gave himself the position, although he left the actual running of the department to Jane Farrar. As the series progresses, Devereaux's priorities begin to shift as the British Empire's power begins to wane. He becomes loathe to deal with his responsibilities and attempts to delay or even ignore the multiplying problems facing his government. This leads to his escalating indulgences and declining tolerance for opposing views, which leads in the second book to his befriending the playwright Quentin Makepeace, taking him on as his sole confidant. During the events of Ptolemy's Gate, Devereaux requires that all first-order magicians partake in his love of the theatre as well, allowing Makepeace to stage a coup d'etat. Devereaux is subsequently possessed by a Demon during the spirit uprising until his body is destroyed by Nathaniel and Bartimaeus. Comprehensive Rupert Devereaux was first mentioned, and first seen in the Amulet of Samarkand. During an annual gathering of the Ministers at the Houses of Parliament, Devereaux appeared to give a speech on the many successes of the Government, and was revered by Nathaniel for his charisma, handsomeness, and eloquence of speech. During the climax of his speech, a member of the resistance infiltrated the room, and threw an elemental sphere in the vicinity near him. Causing incredible devastation to the room, Deveraeux escaped the blast easily, as he was carried to safety by an Afrit. Deveraeux would appear later at the end of the story, where he was one of the one hundred magicians targeted by Ramuthra during Lovelace's Coup D'état. After the spirit was sent back to the Other Place by Nathaniel, he was found cowering on the floor, and cringed as Nathaniel lowered the Amulet of Samarkand into his hand. He later listened with interest to Nathaniel's, more creative version, of what had occurred during the events of the book. During the events of The Golem's Eye, Devereaux is described to have become a little care worn. Less handsome than he once was, he has gone to seed, seems to be indulging in sweetmeats, and has developed a taste for theatre. He has also become more paranoid, as he is described as almost never leaving his residence at Richmond. He is first seen at his residence, listening to a report given by Jessica Whitwell and John Mandrake about the attacks by the Golem (which they don't know about yet), and by Sholto Pinn, who is complaining madly about the destruction of his shop. His next appearance is rather minor, as he merely describes his displeasure at the escape of Honorius into the streets of London, and orders his ministers to destroy the wayward, insane spirit, and return the bones it is inhabiting to its crypt. His next appearance is during the "trial" of John Mandrake. After Duvall soundly verbally abuses Mandrake while John is unable to speak, Deveraeux gives John a chance to speak, after which he gives him the chance to prove himself loyal to the government again by locating the Staff of Gladstone, which the Resistance had stolen during their raid on West Minster Abbey. His final appearance occurred during the destruction of the Golem, where he was seen taking several steps back along with Henry Duvall and Carl Mortenson before the Golem collapsed upon the Police Chief. By the time of Ptolemy's Gate, Deveraeux seems bordering on a mental breakdown. Extremely paranoid of his senior Ministers, as two of them had attempted to overthrow him in the past 5 years, he has become unmistakably fat and elderly looking, and is unwilling to address the problems facing the Empire, instead throwing elaborate parties, killing anyone who speaks against him, and making clear implications that attending the theatre is mandatory. He has also made himself the default police chief, though he leaves the actual workings of the police to Jane Farrar. During a meeting of the Council, Devereaux makes it quite clear that none of the items in the Hall of Treasures is to be used without his permission, making very clear threats to Mandrake when John suggested using the Staff to win the American Wars. Not appearing often in this book, his last true appearance occurs at the end of the book when he attends a play about himself, written by his good friend and playwright, Quentin Makepeace. Unfortunately, the play is a trap for the upper echelons of the government, and the last thing he does before being tied up is notice that his bodyguards had been viciously slaughtered. His body was later used to become a host to one of the many spirits taking part in the great spirit rebellion, his mind being crushed in the process. His body was utilised to wreak havoc across London, and was later destroyed by Nathaniel and Bartimaeus using the Staff of Gladstone. Personality Devereaux was described to be very charismatic, a brilliant speaker, and a very cunning politician. He was able to remain in power through the manipulation of his ministers, playing them against each other instead of himself using his extensive and very accurate spy network. As the years went on however, he became paranoid, and less jovial, and seemed to become a little demented by the stresses of ruling and near death experiences. By the time of his death, he was extremely paranoid, and seemed to live to eat sweetmeats, attend extravagant parties, and express over joy at the theatre. Appearance Devereaux was described in the first book as being handsome, with light brown hair and a confident swagger. By the time of the last book however, his hair had turned grey, and he had become very wrinkled and fat, losing his handsomeness, and his paranoia making his decidedly less charismatic. Sources Category:Characters Category:Magicians Category:Human